Two hundred and eighty-two people were killed by law enforcers across the country in the last year that surpassed all the previous records, according to the reports published in the newspapers and compiled by human rights organisations. Though the authorities argued in favour of the killings of the people, mostly suspected criminals, for giving a sigh of relief in public life, both national and international rights groups criticised the extra-judicial killing that was only 56 in 2003, according to report of Odhikar, a human rights coalition. During their anticrime drive, the regular police force, the two special forces of Detective Branch — Cheetah and Cobra — and the Rapid Action Battalion, and other law enforcers killed the people. Of them, 155 people were killed by the police from January 25, 2004 to January 25, 2005, and 93 by RAB since the elite force came into being in April 14, 2004. Cheetah and Cobra killed 10 others and the Bangladesh Rifles and Ansars killed the rest 24. Of the total, 166 people were killed in the custody of law enforcing agencies. Ninety of them were killed in the police custody, 56 in the RAB, seven in the Cheetah and Cobra, and the rest 13 in the custody of other law enforcing agencies. There was no scope for the suspected criminals to prove whether they were innocent or not as almost all the incidents were said to be the crossfire by the law enforcers. The reports showed that some 219 people were killed in 'crossfire' and shootouts by the police and RAB.
| That's it? Looks more like it's running three or four a day. Maybe they take long vacations? |
RAB killed three persons in crossfire and the police two others in July. RAB killed four persons and the police killed five persons in August apart from another by other law enforcing agencies. With four months of experience under its belt, RAB stepped up its 'crossfire' spree. In September, the elite force alone killed 16 persons in their well-rehearsed 'crossfire' phenomenon. One more person was killed by Cheetah and three others in police 'crossfire' in the same month. Ten persons were killed in 'crossfire' by RAB in October. Cheetah and Cobra tallied three persons together and the police killed 15 others. RAB reached the pinnacle of its killing record in November with killing of 19 persons in 'crossfire'. Besides, the police killed 15 persons, and Cheetah and Cobra with other law enforcing agencies killed one person each. December also saw 17 killings in RAB 'crossfire' when the police toppled RAB's count with the killing of 25 individuals and Cheetah and Cobra killed two others. Under the banner of law enforcement, 13 persons were reportedly killed in RAB 'crossfire', and 27 others in police 'crossfire' till January 25 this year. Cheetah and Cobra also killed three persons till Tuesday.
| They also set a new record for the use of the word "crossfire" in one story! Let's hear it for Bangladesh! |